Vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNGV) and hydrogen gas (FCV) typically include on board high pressure gas fuel tanks that may include gas absorbing materials within the tank interior. During driving, the gas inside the tanks becomes cold, caused by the tank pressure decreasing when gas is consumed by the vehicle power plant resulting in decompression of the tank. Gas absorbing materials used in the tank interior will usually absorbs the intrinsic heat in the gas during the gas discharge from the tank during vehicle operation. In cold climates, the internal gas temperature in the tank can drop to −60° C. or below, a temperature that may be below the permissible operating temperature of 0-rings, or other rubber seals, or gas flow controls in the tank. An excessively low temperature in the tank may upset design tolerance limits for the seals and flow controls and result in mechanical discrepancies that cause the stored gas to leak. For example, if the ambient temperature is −20° C., the reduction of internal tank temperature by an additional −40° C. will result in an internal gas temperature of −60° C. Expansion and contraction of the tank and the component parts of the gas flow system associated with the tank caused by temperature fluctuations may produce adverse mechanical stress effects. In the specification herein, reference to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles correlates with the use of the invention with CNGV's (compressed natural gas powered vehicles) and FCV's (hydrogen powered fuel cell or internal combustion engine vehicles). Although hydrogen is typically referred to in the specification and examples, the term “hydrogen” is in most instances intended to be interchangeable with CNG and other fuel gases. The fuel gases are referred to as a “gas” or “high pressure gas.”